COTM 02: Pregame discussion

[Diakonos]

I'm hoping it's the Byzantines on an Island map. Bad start position or not, those Dromon's are going to be a terror that the other civs won't cope with The AI can't cope with island maps so for you guys who are worried about playing Monarch for the first time - don't be, just enjoy the game and rule the seas!

 

[handy900]

The first COTM was Regent, IIRC.

Hi Space! I forgot about the regent game

There seems to be a slight step up in difficulty in each game, the Classic was a Monarch with a so-so start, this has the markings of being more difficult than that.

I hope we are not building to a Sid Level Max AI Aggression Pangaea climax here.

 

[smackster]

Hey you are disripting my calculations!!

*calculates some more*

Well, probability of success? ZERO

We'll see, at the end, calculate our score (Grahamiam + Smackster)/2 >= Random fan. The challenge is on, and this is a friendly challenge of course.

Me thinks, a quick Conquest is in order here, then again 100k culture would be an even better challenge.

Smackster

 

[Xevious]

You know, I'd find it quite likely that a token "carrot" will be in sight just over the west hill. Enough to make some people move. Meanwhile, two squares SE of the BG will be a cow across the narrow straight, which will be ours on expansion. Or even better, a hut that pops a settler or city.

 

[Diakonos]

or there could be fish SE of the BG. That would be enough to convince me to settle there.

LOL, there could even be the freak occurence that happened with me in GOTM32 - Bananas and Oasis in the ocean! (I installed Rhyes Terrain pack recently and must have put it in the wrong folder or something)

 

[smackster]

You know, I'd find it quite likely that a token "carrot" will be in sight just over the west hill. Enough to make some people move. Meanwhile, two squares SE of the BG will be a cow across the narrow straight, which will be ours on expansion. Or even better, a hut that pops a settler or city.

Nice one, you are very Devious, Mr Xevious, one day we will all best you of your logic.

Smackster

 

[ainwood]

I just got a crazy idea to the starting civs.

England, Portugal, Netherlands, Germany, Russia, Rome and Spain. The top dogs of the Euro 2004 will duke it out in COTM2 And England is our civ, starting next to fat Portugal who's seemingly unbeatabable Or is it?

We will rule the waves, eventually

edit:
For the football interested you will notice that only Portugal and Holland remains of the favourites. You could probably mix in Scandinavia(sadly not due to Norways 'strong' team), Greece and France as well.

Now I know that the admins isn't diehard football fans, but it would be a nice touch anyway to select the compeeting civs based on the Euro2004 roster

Actually, by similar logic it would be more likely to be NZ and Australia beating-up england

 

[scoutsout]

Actually, by similar logic it would be more likely to be NZ and Australia beating-up england

Saaay... aren't there some ANZAC troopers in the WWII Pacific scenario in Conquests?

 

[Tone]

Actually, by similar logic it would be more likely to be NZ and Australia beating-up england

You really know how to hit a nation when it's down!

So when do we find out the civ?

 

[Diakonos]

It's a whole lotta fun picking on the Rugby world champs!

Come on ainwood put us out of our misery.

 

[bradleyfeanor]

...there could even be the freak occurence that happened with me in GOTM32 - Bananas and Oasis in the ocean!

This will also happen if you load GOTM32 into Conquests.

 

[SirPleb]

I'm decided at last, I'm going to start by scouting with the worker. The small cost seems worthwhile against the help it will give in deciding what to do next.

I'm going to research Writing first and hope to trade for Pottery.

I'll wait till after making the worker move to decide on how fast to research. If we're on a small island with no bonus resources except the whales then the best we can do is around 45 turns to learn Writing by researching flat-out. If that's the case then I'll use the 50 turn rate, I'd rather build up a good treasury than shave off five turns. OTOH, if there's something across those hills, even just some fish, that could change things. If there's something there I'll recalculate before deciding. If I could learn Writing in 40 turns I'd go for it.

My initial build sequence will depend on whether I'm researching at the 50 turn rate or flat out. In the first case I won't worry much about commerce. If we're on a small island I won't build a warrior for happiness for some time, my initial sequence will be curragh, curragh, curragh, settler in that case I think. If I'm going for faster research then my build sequence will be aimed at increasing commerce and I'll probably build a settler earlier - it depends on what's across those hills.

 

[Backpack]

You know, I'd find it quite likely that a token "carrot" will be in sight just over the west hill. Enough to make some people move. Meanwhile, two squares SE of the BG will be a cow across the narrow straight, which will be ours on expansion. Or even better, a hut that pops a settler or city.

Actually, (and I may be misremembering), wasn't there the possibility of an Iron Works in COTM-01, IF you founded your capital without moving at all? Kind of a midgame bonus if you took the come-what-may approach of settling where you started?

Then again, I may have miscounted the tiles. Would Ainwood be sneaky like that?

Kevin

 

[Cuivienen]

No, I just checked it, the Iron would be one tile too far NW and the Coal one tile too far west. That would have been a nice bonus for those who settled on the spot, though.

 

[Megalou]

The reason I don't think it's Holland is because of what SirPleb wrote about the first COTM's being thematic to the special traits of C3C compared to the other generations of Civ. Agricultural will most likely come in a later COTM at a setting where it can best be used in a unique manner in a suitable map for doing stratagems with that trait.

Quite possibly. But it has been pointed out that agricultural could well be the strongest trait of all. Therefore it may be a balancing factor not to introduce it where it is the most effective. My guess is still Holland.

Great discussion here. I wonder if ainwood feels cornered?

PS. This will be my last GOTM for a long time. I will entrust the discs to someone else the moment I've submitted. It's a great community but Civ is stealing my real life.

 

[Denniz]

I have been playing around with the Dutch on 70% Ocean Archipelago maps. I was using dry, temp, 4Bil, but am seeing same things with normal wetness.

If we are on a pennisula and find a fair sized of land mass, There is no hurry to get Map-Making. With the Curroghs and the extra seafarer movement point, I find I meet all of the other civs before I get near map-making with 2-3 Curroghs.

Also, if our civ is Dutch then we get Agriculture which comes with Pottery. So if we need Map-Making then it is right at hand. The only question is go Writing, Philosopy with free MM or go Writing, MM and use the Phil free tech to get something else.

 

[grahamiam]

We'll see, at the end, calculate our score (Grahamiam + Smackster)/2 >= Random fan. The challenge is on, and this is a friendly challenge of course.
Smackster

sounds good to me loser buys a round

 

[Mauer]

The only question is go Writing, Philosopy with free MM or go Writing, MM and use the Phil free tech to get something else.

Would MM be cheaper for seafaring? Or do techs require the same amount of beakers across the board?

 

[grahamiam]

Would MM be cheaper for seafaring? Or do techs require the same amount of beakers across the board?

tech costs are the same across the board for the player on any difficulty level. they do get adjusted based on world size.

the AI will get a discount to tech cost based on the difficulty level.

 

[Cuivienen]

Of course, since this is still Monarch, Writing --> Map Making --> Code of Laws --> Philosophy --> Republic would probably still be viable, especially since we're Seafaring and get the coastal gold bonus. (Unlike Commercial, which gives us no such bonus so early.) This could work with either the Dutch or the English, who both start with Alphabet and Pottery (so do the Portuguese, but they would have a Scout). Of course, the Byzantines could also do this, since trading for Pottery with Bronze Working to start would not be so difficult.